PM to dedicate to nation 2 N-power reactors; Kakrapar plant 4 to be connected to grid soon

Chennai, Feb 21 (IANS) India’s atomic power major Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) will soon connect its second 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) to the grid, an official said on Wednesday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Gujarat on Thursday to dedicate to the nation the two 700 MW PHWRs at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS).

While the KAPS-3 has been synchronised with the grid, KAPS-4 will also be connected to the grid soon, an official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

With that, both the 700 MW PHWRs will supply power to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Starting commercial operations in July last year, the country’s first 700 MW PHWR (KAPS-3) generated 3,182 million units till January 2024 and is working at a capacity factor of 88 per cent, NPCIL said.

Prime Minister Modi will dedicate to the nation the two units that have been built at an outlay of over Rs.22,500 crore are part of the NPCIL's indigenously-designed and built 16 PHWRs being set up in the country.

Two more 700 MW PHWRs are coming up at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) in addition to the existing four units of 220 MW, one of 200 MW, and another of 100 MW units.

At present, the NPCIL operates 23 reactors with a total capacity of 7,480 MW, and eight units with a capacity of 6,800 MW are under construction.

In addition, 10 more reactors with a total capacity of 7,000 MW are in a pre-project stage. These are expected to be completed progressively by 2031-32, the NPCIL had said.

The 10 reactors are: Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Unit 7 and 8 (2x700 MW, PHWRs), Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) Unit 3 and 4 (2x1000 MW, Light Water Reactors) and KKNPP Unit 5 and 6 (2 x 1000 MW, Light Water Reactors) and Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana Unit 1 and 2 (2x700 MW PHWRs).